help - First time linux user: What to get, how to use?

[Dolda2000]

If you read this just before, it said my computer kept freezing, well, thats cause i overclocked it to 1.8

Now that you reset it, does it still display the boot messages about lost DMAs?

i have the floppy drive disabled in the bios, so shouldn't it NOT try to look for one?

Not really; when you disable it in the BIOS, that just disables the BIOS interface to it, not the floppy itself, I believe. Linux can still use its own interface.

if my cd-writer (48x24x48) isnt said to be specifically compatible on the mandrake website, however earlier versions of the cd-rw were, (ie 12x8x12 etc), would that imply that mine has a good chance of working?

It would be very strange if your writer wasn't supported. Almost all of them use a standardized protocol.
Again, do you still get the messages about lost DMAs at boot?

[Skythra]

Everything thats writen in my last post still happens, thats why its not removed. The dma message came about before overclocking... Still there now, im back on my windows HDD cause the stable linux mandrake wont stay unfrozen for more then 20mins.

[Dolda2000]

Well, that it is a very bad thing. It can essentially mean one of two things:
1. You hardware is a bit broken. It can still work in Windows, since Linux and Windows accesses hard drives in different ways, and maybe only commands used by only Linux are affected by the damage.
2. You have an IDE chipset that is incompatible with Linux, or the driver hasn't been compiled into the kernel. Do you know what IDE chipset you have?

Since the errors seem to be related to DMA transfers, you could try booting the kernel without IDE DMA support. To do that, you need to add "ide=nodma" to your kernel command line. If you don't know how to do that, I'll need to know what boot loader you have to instruct you.

[Hellmasker]

mandrake installs lilo by default, so im guessing ur still usiign that, to further explain doldas post: type in a terminal su
type the root pw.
type kwrite /etc/lilo.conf
now edit the append line line in the "linux" section
with ide=nodma

[Dolda2000]

Then run "/sbin/lilo" and reboot.

[Skythra]

Thank you, ill try that tonight and post up the results then.

(My computer is allways getting hauled to LAN's and so the MoBo has been flexed a fair bit more then the average home PC... )

I do need to buy myself a new mobo, because i know mine does have problems, such as any secondary hardware wont be detected by bois, so only primary master and slave works, and the floppy drive doesnt work.. but as i said in my first post, im pretty poor, i have no job, and to make things worse i have $178 debt, which is huge considering my current income is $0 per week.

SiS 745 chipset?

[Skythra]

linux is gone until a new mobo is bought (and i got a job yesterday)